First Doctor Who fic ever, Hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Do not own. DAMNIT, BBC, YOU OWN EVERYTHING I'VE EVER LOVED! D:
She stood there in front of me, her face burning under my hands. The world seemed to be falling apart around us as she trembled and shook.
"Please don't make me forget," she sobbed, "I don't want to forget you." Tears were pouring down her face and I could barely contain my own. But I had to, I had to be strong. For her.
"You have been brilliant, Donna, but you'll die." I smoothed the sweat-soaked hair out of her eyes. She shook her head and nearly fell over.
"Then I'd rather die! I can't lose these memories, they're all I'll have!" she shouted. I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before reaching into her mind.
"You won't even remember what you lost," my voice came out as a hoarse whisper. Donna's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed against me. I lay her gently in the grass. Stars wheeled overhead, but Donna would never remember how she used to travel amongst them. She'd look up at the sky and only see what everyone else saw. She would never remember laughing and dancing and fighting out there in the heavens. It was for her own good.
Donna groaned, unconscious. Her mouth moved and I only barely caught what she whispered.
"Forever, Doctor."
I left her there, on Earth. I knew from then on I may have other Companions on my journeys, but it would never be the same. There were no other Donnas in the universe.
I remember years later I would stand in front of Jack, talking about her. It was a sunny Tuesday in April but it felt like the dark days of December. We'd just come from a funeral.
"What did the inscription mean, Doctor?" Jack asked.
"Ego no per astrum. 'I fly with the stars'." I said simply. Her daughter had asked me what to put there. I never knew why, didn't even know how she knew about me. Jack nodded and took as sip from the brandy in his hand.
We talked a little longer, but I didn't have the heart for conversation. I took my leave and started to walk. I didn't pay any attention to where my feet were taking me, my head was in the clouds. I had watched over Donna after I left. Just to make sure she was all right was what I told myself. But as she took hold of her life and things started changing for her. She got a steady job—no more temping, she started dating. That was what was hard for me to accept. Eventually she got engaged. I didn't go to the wedding, I still wasn't sure if just seeing me could trigger the memories to come back.
She had two children; a boy and a girl. It surprised me that they were named Rose and John. Some things were bound to leak through, mind like hers. Those weren't the things I expected to stick.
It was raining now. I had found my way to a park. I didn't really connect to it, I just stood there. To my left was a pond, to my right was a statue. I walked over to that as the rain soaked my clothes. I could hear my shoes squelching as I walked. The statue was a bird in mid-flight and a little girl. I looked at it for a moment, taking in the freedom the bird and the sadness the girl showed at not being able to fly as well before moving down to the plaque posted beneath it.
"Forever contained in a day
To see the smiling sun.
A Doctor sees the stars
But only belonged with one."
"She wrote that, you know," a voice said sadly behind me. I spun around to find a familiar red head. Rose walked forward and touched the plaque lovingly.
"She used to tell us stories of a man who rode around in a blue box and saved the universe. They were her dreams. The lady who did this statue saw the poem lying on Mum's desk, asked if she could use it." Her voice cracked as she turned back to me. I couldn't speak, couldn't move. Rose looked at me, patted my arm, and left. I stood there I don't know how long, staring at the statue. All I could think was "In astrum vobis"
In the stars with you.